EPA
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NOS News•today, 15:28
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The wildfire in the French department of Gironde did not spread much further last night because there was little wind. Still, the conditions to contain the fire are unfavorable due to the hot, dry weather, the fire service says.
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That also causes problems for travelers to the southwest of France. South of Bordeaux, the capital of the Gironde, a section of approximately 40 kilometers of the A63 is closed in both directions for safety. This highway runs from Bordeaux to the Spanish border. It is unclear when the road will reopen.
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In addition, it is from tomorrow extra pressure on the A63 because many French people have a long weekend off because of the Catholic holiday of the Assumption of Mary. The ANWB advises to drive via the A62, A65 or A64.
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This year 600 square kilometers in the axis
The fire in the Gironde and neighboring Les Landes has reduced to ashes at least 74 square kilometers since Tuesday. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated. The French fire brigade is assisted by more than 360 firefighters from Germany, Romania, Poland and Austria. They join the more than a thousand French firefighters who are already on the scene.
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More than 600 square kilometers of forest have burned down in France since the beginning of the year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), more than in any other year in the past decade.
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